Commentary on the quran

Ma’ariful Qur’an Commentary of the Holy Qur’an By Mufti Shafi Usmani (RA) [Late, Grand-Mufti of Pakistan] Translation by: Professor Muhammad Hasan Askari (RA) Professor Muhammad Shamim With Introduction to Uloomul-Qur’an and translation revised by Mufti Taqi Usmani (Ret Chief Justice Shariah Applet, Supreme Court of Pakistan) Note: This is an ongoing Project; please report all errors and omissions with page numbers ( & all relevant details) to webmaster@central-mosque.com Please compare errors to the Full Scanned version of the Tafseer which can be found at: http://www.islamibayanaat.com/EMQ.htm And partial version is also available at: http://www.classicalislamgroup.com/library/index.php?view=tafseer http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page of 246 Table of Contents FOREWORD 12 A Few Words about the present English Translation of Ma'ariful-Qur'an .13 Translation of the Holy Qur'an .14 The Scheme of the Translation .15 PREFACE 17 The need for Wahy 18 The Modes of Descent 19 The Chronology of the Revelation of the Qur'an 20 The verses that came first 21 The Makki and Madani Verses .21 Characteristics of Makki and Madani Verses 22 The Gradual Revelation of the Noble Qur'an 23 Sabab al-nuzul: (Cause of revelation) .24 The Seven Readings of the Holy Qur'an 24 The difference in nouns: .25 The difference in the placement of diacritical marks: 25 The difference caused by addition and deletion of words: 25 The difference of precedence and succession: 25 The difference caused by transposition: 25 The difference caused by manners of reading: 25 The Seven Qaris 27 'Abdullah ibn Kathir al-Dari (died 120 Hijrah): 27 Nafi' ibn 'Abd Al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Nu'aym (died 169 Hijrah): 27 'Abdullah al-Hisbi, better known as Ibn 'Amir (died 118 Hijrah): .27 Abu 'Amr Zabban ibn al-'Ala (died 154 Hijrah): 27 Hamzah ibn Hablb al-Zayyat, ex-slave of'Ikramah ibn Rabi' al-Taymi (died 188 Hijrah): 27 'Aim ibn Abi al-Najid al-Asadiyy (died 127 Hijrah): .27 Abu al-Hasan 'Aii ibn Hamzah al-Kisa~ (died 189 Hijrah): 27 Ya'qub ibn Ishaq al-Hadrami (died 205 Hijrah): 28 Khalf ibn Hisham (died 205 Hijrah): 28 Abu Ja'far Yarid ibn al-Qa'qa' (died 130 Hijrah): .28 Abu al-Faraj Shambudhi (died 388 Hijrah): 28 The Preservation of the Holy Qur'an In the days of the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) 28 The writing of Wahy 29 Preservation: In the period of Sayyidna Abu Bakr (RA) 30 http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page of 246 Preservation: In the period of Sayyidna 'Uthman (RA) 32 Steps taken to facilitate Recitation .34 Inclusion of Dots 34 Ahzib or Manazil 35 Ajza' or Parts .35 Ahhmas and A'shar: The sets of Fives and Tens 35 Ruku' or Section 36 Rumuz al-Aiqaaf: Stop Signs .36 The printing of the Holy Qur'an 37 An introduction to the science of Tafsir 37 The Sources of Tafsir 38 The rules relating to Israelite reports 39 A misconception about the tafsir of Qur'an .40 Famous Commentaries of the Qur'an 42 Tafsir ibn Jarir .42 Tafsir ibn Kathir 42 Tafsir Al-Qurtubi 43 Al-Tafsir' al-Kabir .43 Tafsir al-Bajr al-Muhit 43 Ahkam Al-Qur'an by al-Jassas .43 Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthur 43 Al-Tafsir al-Mazhari 44 Ruh al-Ma'ani 44 The Opening (Al-Fatihah) 45 The Merits and Peculiarities of the Surah 45 The merits of Bismillah 46 Ruling 47 Commentary of Bismillah .47 Ruling: 48 Rulings: .49 Surah Al-Fatihah: 49 Commentary of AL-Fatihah 50 Who is the Master? 53 The Prayer for Guidance 55 The Meaning of Hidayah or Guidance 56 Which 'path' is 'straight'? 59 http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page of 246 The Key to the Straight Path .60 The conclusion 61 Why the Schism? 61 Injunctions and related conslderations 61 The proper way of Praying to Allah 61 Praising Allah is Man's Natural Demand .61 Self-Praise is not permitted 63 Rabb is the exclusive attribute of Allah 63 Seeking help from Allah 63 Seeking Allah's Help Directly and Indirectly 65 Success in this world and in the Hereafter .66 78 The Great Event (An-Naba’) 68 Translation 68 Commentary 70 Sleep Is a Great Gift 70 Problem of Eternity of Hell .73 79 Those who pull out (An-Naziat’) 76 Translation .76 Commentary 78 The first quality of the angels: 78 The second quality of the angels: 78 The third quality of the angels: .79 The fourth quality of the angels: 79 The fifth quality of the angels: 79 Reward and Punishment in the Grave 79 Tricks of the Base Self .81 80 Frowning (Abas) 83 Translation 83 Commentary 84 Circumstances of Revelation 84 An Important Qur'anic Principle of Teaching and Preaching .86 81 The Folding (At-Takweer) .90 Translation 90 Commentary 91 Important Note 92 Abortion after Four Months is Tantamount to Infanticide 93 http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page of 246 82 Cleaving (Al-Infitaar) .95 Translation 95 Commentary 96 83 Curtailing the Rights (At-Tatfif) .98 Translation 98 Commentary 99 Tatfif has a Wider Scope 100 Various Forms of Poverty, Famine and Curtailment of Sustenance 101 Sijjin and 'illiyin 101 The Locale of Paradise and Hell 101 Special Note 102 The Abode of Human Souls After Death 103 84 The Splitting (Al-Inshiqaq) 106 Translation 106 Commentary 107 Two Categories of Divine Commands .107 Return to Allah 108 Vicissitudes of Human Life, His Eternal Journey and His Final Destination 110 85 Stellar Formations (Al-Buruj) 113 Translation 113 Commentary 114 The Story of the People of Trench 115 Special Note 116 86 The Night-Comer (At-Tariq) 117 Translation 117 Commentary 117 87 The Most Exalted (Al-A’la) 121 Translation 121 Commentary 122 Ruling [1] 122 Ruling [2] 122 Ruling [3] 122 Subtle and Profound Wisdom in the Creation of the Universe 123 The Knowledge of Science is a Divine Gift to Man 124 Themes of the Scripts of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) .126 Themes of the Scripts of Prophet Musa (A.S) 127 http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page of 246 88 The Overwhelming (Al-Ghashiyah) .128 Translation 128 Commentary 129 How Will Grass or Tree Survive in Hell .130 Etiquette of Living .130 In Conclusion of the Chapter, the Messenger of Allah is Comforted Thus: .131 89 The Dawn (Al-Fajr) 132 Translation 132 Commentary 133 Wealth and Poverty are No Signs of One's Acceptance or Rejection .136 Spending on the Orphan is Not Sufficient Their Respect is Also Necessary 137 A Few Strange Incidents 140 90 The City (Al-Balad) 141 Translation 141 Commentary 142 Absolute Comfort, Without Hardship, Is Not Possible in the World: Man Must be Prepared to Endure Hardships 143 Obligations of a Believer 145 91 The Sun (Ash-Shams) 146 Translation 146 Commentary 146 The First Oath is Taken By: .146 The Second Oath is Taken By: .147 The Third Oath is Taken By: 147 The Fourth Oath is Taken Thus: 147 The Fifth Oath is: 147 The Sixth Oath is: 147 The seventh oath is taken thus: 148 92 The Night (Al-Lail) .150 Translation 150 Commentary 151 The Two Diverse Types of Human Efforts Divide Humankind into Two Groups 151 All of The Blessed Companions Will be Saved from the Ordeal of Hell 152 93 The Forenoon (Ad-Duha) 155 Translation 155 Commentary 155 http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page of 246 Occasion of Revelation .155 Favour [1] 157 Favour [2] 157 Favour [3] 157 Injunction [1] 157 Injunction [2] 157 Injunction [3] 157 Ruling 158 Ruling 158 Note 158 94 Peace of Heart (Al-Inshirah) .159 Translation 159 Commentary 159 The Command for Teachers and Preachers to Remember Allah During Spare Hours .160 Note 161 95 The Fig (At-Tin) 162 Translation 162 Commentary 162 Man is the Most Beautiful of Allah's Creation 162 A Wonderful Story of Human Beauty .163 Ruling 164 96 The Clot (Al-Alaq) 166 Translation 166 Commentary 167 Beginning of The Qur'anic Revelation 167 The Holy Prophet's First Experience of Revelation 167 Pen and Writing: The First and Most Important Means of Transmitting Knowledge 169 Three Types of Pen 169 Who was First Trained in the Writing Skill and Art? 170 Writing Skill and Art: A Great Divine Gift 170 Writing Skill and Art: Attitude of Scholars in All Ages 170 Writing Skill and Art: The Reason Why the Holy Prophet was Not Taught .170 Many Other Means of Teaching .171 Acceptability of Supplication in the Posture of Prostration .173 Ruling 173 Ruling 173 http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page of 246 97 The Qadr (Al-Qadr) .174 Translation 174 Commentary 174 Occasion of Revelation .174 Meaning of the Night of Qadr 174 Date of the Night of Qadr 175 The Value and Importance of the Night and a Special Du'a for the Night .175 Revelation of the Holy Qur'an 175 All Heavenly Books Were Revealed in Ramadan 176 Descent of the Angels and the Spirit with Divine Decrees .176 Special Note 176 Ruling 177 98 The Clear Proof (Al-Bayyinah) .178 Translation 178 Commentary 178 Situation of the People of the Book and of the Pagan Arabs Before the Advent of the Final Messenger of Allah 178 99 The Quake (Az-Zalzalah/Al-Zilzal) .182 Translation 182 Commentary 182 The Merits of Surah Az-Zilzal 182 The Scene of the Day of Resurrection 182 100 The Charges (Al-Adiyat) 184 Translation 184 Commentary 184 Place of Revelation 184 Lexicographical Analysis 185 Special Note 186 101 The Striking Event (Al-Qari’ah) 187 Translation 187 Commentary 187 Human Deeds, Good or Bad, will be Weighed 187 Ma'ariful Qur'an, Vol 3/ pp 539-547 (Reproduced in Full) 187 102 Competetion in Amassing (At-Takathur) 193 Translation 193 Special Merit of Surah At-Takathur 193 http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page of 246 Commentary 193 Warning Against Materialistic Attitude 193 103 The Time (Al-‘Asr) .196 Translation 196 Virtue of [Studying] Surah al-'Asr 196 Commentary 196 Relationship Between 'Time' and 'Human Loss' .196 Need to Salvage the Entire Muslim Society 198 104 The Backbiter (Al-Humazah) .199 Translation 199 Commentary 199 Warning Against Dreadful End of Those Committing Three Obnoxious Sins 199 105 The Elephant (Al-Fil) 201 Translation 201 Commentary 201 The Subject-Matter of the Surah 201 When Did the Event Take Place? 201 Story of the People of the Elephants 201 Conclusion 204 106 The Quraish (Al-Quraish) 205 Translation 205 Commentary 205 The Subject-Matter of Surah Al-Fil and Surah Al-Quraish 205 Lexical Analysis 205 Superiority of Quraish .205 Special Note 207 A Great Benefit 207 107 The Small Gifts (Al-Ma’un) 208 Translation 208 Commentary 208 The Love of the World Causes Nations to Lose Faith and Consign Allah to Oblivion .208 108 The Kauthar (Al-Kauthar) 210 Translation 210 Cmmentary 210 Cause of Revelation 210 The River or Fountain of Kauthar .210 http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page of 246 Prayer and Sacrifice 211 The Enemy of the Prophet is Cut Off .212 Note 212 109 The Disbelievers (Al-Kafirun) 213 Translation 213 Commentary 213 Virtues and Characteristics of the Surah 213 Cause of Revelation 213 Peace Treaty With Unbelievers is Permissible in Some Cases But Not in Others 215 110 The Help (Nasr) 217 Translation 217 Commentary 217 Name of the Surah and Place of its Revelation 217 The Last Surah and the Last Verses of the Noble Qur'an 217 When the Approach of Death is Sensed, One Needs to Exert Oneself Immensely in Tasbih and Istighfar .218 111 The Palm Fibre (Al-Lahab) .219 Translation 219 Commentary 219 Name and Nickname of Abu Lahab 219 Cause of Revelation 219 The Fate of Umm Jamil, the Wife of Abu Lahab .220 Tale-Bearing: A Gravely Major Sin 221 112 The Sincerity (Al-Ikhlas) 223 Translation 223 Say, "The truth is: Allah is One [1] .223 Allah is Besought of all, needing none [2] 223 He neither begot anyone, nor was begotten [3] 223 And equal to Him has never been any one." [4] 223 Commentary 223 Cause of Revelation 223 Virtues of the Surah 223 Oneness of Allah 224 Allah is Above Having Children and Procreating 224 Surah Al-Ikhlas: A Comprehensive Concept of Allah's Oneness and a Complete Negation of Shirk 224 113 The Day Break (Al-Falaq) 226 Translation 226 http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page 10 of 246 magic in a saying of Ka'b al-Ahbar, reported by Imam Malik in his Muwatta' on the authority of Qa'qa' ibn HakIm: "Were it not for these phrases which I recite regularly, the Jews would have changed me into a donkey." "A donkey" is, no doubt, a usual metaphor for "a fool." But it is not proper to turn away, unecessarily, from the literal meaning to a metaphorical one So, the sentence means just what it says - that if the recitation of the phrases had not protected him, the Jewish sorcerers would have changed him into a donkey The saying, thus, establishes two things Firstly, it is possible to change a man into a donkey; secondly, the phrases he used to recite had the property of making the magic of the sorcerers lose its efficacy On being asked what these phrases were, the scholar Ka'b al-Ahbar taught his listeners the following words of prayer: “I seek the protection of Allah the Great, grea!er than whom there is none; and seek the protection of the perfect words of Allah which no man, virtuous or wicked, can even transcend; and seek the protection of all the Beautiful Names of Allah, those of them which know and those which not know , from the evil of everything which Allah has created, to which He has given existence, and which He has spread (over the earth or the universe)." To sum up, all the three forms of magic are possible, and can manifest themselves in actual fact Miracles Now, let us turn to another important aspect of the question Through prophets and saints certain events come into manifestation which normally and habitually never happen, and are hence designated as Kharq al-'Adah (contrary to the habitual) The Islamic term for the miracles of prophets is Mu'jizai, and for those of saints, Kariimat, The effects produced by such miracles are in appearance sometimes similar to those produced by magic This external resemblance leads some ignorant people to confuse the one with the other, and they begin to have a reverence for magicians which is totally out of place So, one must understand the difference between the two clearly (Editorial Note on Mu'jizah or Miracle: For all the unusual events and unprecendented happenings the English language has but one word, 'Miracle' which makes it impossible for the reader in that language to mark the subtle difference in various forms of miracles Briefly, therefore, the different forms of miracles with their distinct objections are explained here It is hoped that this will help the readers have a clearer conception of Mu'jizah These terms are used in Arabic language to define and differentiate the unprecendented happenings and here each of them is explained, so as to clearly differentiate them Qualitatively, there is, apparently no difference in all ofthem Mu'jizah is the unusual event which occurs at 'the hands of a prophet It is purely an act of Allah A prophet's own volition has no part in the working of it For those who witness a Mu'jizah it is compulsory to believe in it Karamah another mode of unusual happenings:; is also an act of Allah; it appears at the hands of a Man of Allah The basic difference in Mu'jizah and Kariimali is that one who performs Mu'jizah; addresses himself as a prophet, a Man of Allah has no such claim In both Mu'jizah and Karamab the usual cause and effect link is absent Things happen but without any cause; and there is usually a total transformation of th~ nature and behaviour of objects in Mu'jizah and Kariimah, What is required is a generalized belief in them Allah chooses whoever He wills for Mu'jizah and Kariim ah No degree of stringent discipline can give the power to make the unusual happen Irhas is also a kind of Karamah It heralds the coming of a prophet It usually occurs at the hands of the one who is closely related to the prophet: the unprecedented happenings in the the life of Mariam, mother of prophet 'Isa (AS) or the various unusual events that began occurring to and around Arninah the blessed mother of our Holy Prophet; for instance, she had no pangs of birth, towards the close of the birth period she used to hear stranger http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page 232 of 246 voices greeting her, although she saw no one It is compulsory to believe in such events of Irhas as have been mentioned in the Qur'an and believe in a general manner, that Irhas is usually associated with the coming of a prophet ) The Difference between Miracle and Magic The miracles of prophets and saints are different from magic, firstly, in their respective natures, and, secondly, with regard to the signs and indications attendant upon each As for the difference in their natures, it lies in the fact that the results produced through magic depend on the law of causality as much as the ordinary and usual events in the physical world, the only distinction being that the causes are in the latter case quite clear or easily observable, while in the former they are different for a common man to detect Where the causes are evident, the effects are immediately referred back to them, and the events thus produced are not considered to be astonishing, but where the causes are hidden or obscure, the events produced by them arouse wonder and amazement, and those who are ignorant of the causes readily come to believe that the things have happened in contravention of the habitual laws of the physical universe.(In the West, they describe such events as being "supernatural", although the Latin word Natura, which is the equivalent of the Greek word Phusis, does, at least in its original sense, cover all that has been created, whether it lies in the domain studied by empirical science or beyond it) What these people not realize is that such happenings are as much due to certain causes as the habitual events - the cause in the case of extraordinary happenings often being the activity of a jinn or a devil (Shaytan) For example, a letter suddenly falls in front of a man, and on reading it he finds that the letter has been written jest this day and is coming from a distance of ten thousand miles Now, the onlookers would call it a "supernatural" event, for they not know that Allah has given the power of doing such things to jinns and devils Once one comes to understand the means through which things of this nature take place, one would no longer see them as "supernatural", or even as being contrary to "habit" In short, all the results obtained through magical practices are, in fact, due to the operation of physical causes, but in the eyes of common people they acquire the illusory appearance of "supernatural" events, simply because the operative causes are hidden from them On the other hand, miracles happen directly under divine command without the intervention of physical causes For example, the Holy Qur'an tells us how the tyrant N amriid (Nimrod) threw Sayyidna Ibrahim (Abraham AS) into a blazing fire, and how Allah commanded the fire to grow cold for him, but not so cold as to him harm -and the fire obeyed the command, and, instead of scorching him, provided a place of safety This was a direct divine act, and hence a miracle Now, we sometimes hear of men who, having applied certain chemicals to their body, can enter a fire without being scorched This is not a miracle, for the operative cause is of a physical nature - that is, the chemicals These chemicals are not known to people in general, and they are deluded into believing such a performance to be a "supernatural" event going beyond the realm of "the habitual" The Holy Qur'an itself leaves no doubt as to a miracle being directly an act of Allah Himself In the Battle of Badr, the Holy Prophet ~ took up a handful of pebbles, and threw them at the army of the infidels, which blinded their eyes Referring to this miracle, the Holy Qur an says: َِٖۚٝ ‫ٌَـٖ ِىَٓ ٌٍََٗٗ َز‬َٚ َ‫َِب َزَِيۡذَ ِإذۡ َزَِيۡذ‬َٚ When you threw (the pebbles), it was not you who threw, but Allah who threw (them)" (8:17) The statement is explicit enough, and means that the miraculous result produced by a handful of pebbles was not the work of the Holy Prophet ~ , but the act of Allah Himself Miracle and Magic: How to distinguish between them? Having explained the difference between the nature of a miracle and that of magic, we must now turn to another important question -the results produced by each of them being in appearance the same, how is the common man to know the difference between the two? In fact, Allah has given to each certain characteristic features which can help the common man to distinguish miracles from magic Firstly, miracles are manifested through those whom everyone knows to be clean in body, pure in deeds and God-fearing On the contrary, magic shows http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page 233 of 246 its effectiveness through those who are unclean in body, dirty in deeds, shunning the worship of Allah and His remembrance This is a distinction which everyone can observe with his own eyes Secondly, Allah has so ordained things that if a man pretends to be a prophet and claims to perform miracles, and yet tries to practise magic, his magic is never effective, but he can be effective in magic so long as he does not lay a claim to prophethood Magic and Prophets As to the question whether magic can have an effect on prophets, we shall say that it can As we have explained above, magic operates through physical causes, and prophets are not immune to the influence of physical causes Just as they feel the effects of hunger and thirst, fall ill and get healed through the operation of apparent physical causes, in the same way they can be affected by the hidden operations of magic, which are no less physical Let us add that being affected by magic does in no way go against the dignity of the station of prophethood no more than would thirst or hunger Authentic ahadith report that the Holy Prophet g: was affected by the magic spell cast by the Jews, that he came to know of it through revelation, and that he took certain measures to free himself of its effects The Holy Qur'an too tells us how Sayyidna Miisa (Moses r~J1 ~ ) experienced the effects of magic when the sorcerers cast a spell on his eyes, and the ropes and the sticks thrown by them began to look like running serpents, so that he was really frightened (20:66,67) Injunctions of the Shari'ah with regard to Magic As we have already said, Sihr (magic), in the terminology of the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith , refers only to those practices in which one seeks the help of jinns and devils tSh.ayiitin) by gaining their pleasure through the adoption of certain phrases or actions that involve infidelity (Kufr) and association (Shirk) or sin and transgression, and thus brings about certain extraordinary and unusual events The magic of Babylon, mentioned in the Holy Qur'an, was just this, and it is this form of magic which it condemns as infidelity or Kufr (Jassas) According to Abu Mansur, the most valid and correct view in this respect is that each and every form of magic does not, unconditionally and absolutely, constitute infidelity, but only that form which employs actions or speech contrary to the tenets of faith ('iman) (Ruh al-Ma'ani) As everyone knows, the Holy Qur'an and the Hadzth repeatedly enjoin upon the Muslims to consider the Shayatins one's enemies, to hate them and to curse them Seeking to please them and to win their friendship, in contravention of such clear commandments, is in itself a sin Moreover, they are pleased only when one indulges in Kufr (infidelity) or Shirk (association), and thus forfeits one's faith ('[mem) altogether, or at least in disobedience and transgression, displeasing Allah and His angels by wallowing in dirt and impurity which becomes an additional sin And if one makes use of magic for doing some harm to a human being unlawfully, it is still one more sin Thus, what the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith call Sihr can never be free either of infidelity in the matter of faith, or at least of infidelity in the matter of actions If, in order to please the Shaya!in, one adopts actions or speech involving infidelity or association, one would be committing an actof real infidelity in the matter of faith; and even if one manages to avoid infidelity and association in speech or action, but indulges in other sinful activities, one would not remain free from infidelity in the matter of actions This is what the Holy Qur'an means when, in the present verses, it designates magic as Kufr To sum up, when magic employs actions or speech involving infidelity (such as seeking the help of Shayatin, or believing the stars and the planets to be effective in themselves, or claiming prophethood by presenting the results of magical procedures as miracles, etc), such a magic, according to the consensus, constitutes infidelity; and when magic does not involve acts of infidelity but only the commission of sinful acts, such a magic is a major sin http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page 234 of 246 Now, let us add some subsidiary injunctions with regard to magic 1) Since magic is not usually free from infidelity in the matter of faith or in that of action, it necessarily follows that it is forbidden to learn or teach or practice it Some jurists, however, allow one to learn magic for the purpose of protecting Muslims from harm, but one must not try to learn more than is necessary 2) If in preparing charms and amulets the help of Jinns and Shayiitin has been sought, they too come under the category of Sihr, and are thus forbidden If the words employed in the charms are vague, and one does not exactly know what they mean but suspects that they are invocations addressed to idols or Shayatin, even such charms are forbidden 3) As for the other forms of magic beside the Sihr, like that of Babylon, condemned by the Holy Qur'an and the lfadlth, if they involve Kufr and Shirk in some way, they too are forbidden 4) If there is a form of magic which employs words or actions or other elements to which the Shari'ah does not object, then it is permissible on condition that it is not used for a purpose which the Shari'ah forbids 5) It is permissible to use the verses of the Holy Qur'an, or the Divine Names or the words of the Haditli in preparing charms and amulets, or as a recitation or invocation for gaining divine help in order to attain a desired end But if such a use of the sacred texts or words is made for a reprehensible purpose, like doing harm to someone without an excuse, even that is forbidden (Shami, Fatawa Qadi Khan) A doctrinal point Verse 102 says: "They could not thus any harm to anyone, except with the permission of Allah" This shows that causes in themselves and by themselves cannot produce the effects one usually associates with them, and it is Allah who creates the effects as much as the causes (Bayan al-Qur'an) TAFSEER OF SURAH NOW RESUMES! Mu'awwadhatain are Surahs that Afford Protection Against Physical and Spiritual Afflictions It is a settled doctrine of every believer that Allah is the intrinsic cause of every gain and loss in this world as well as in the next world Without the Divine will not a jot of gain or loss can be caused to anyone The only way to fortify against all physical and spiritual injuries and harm is for man to place himself under the protection of Allah, and by his actions he should attempt to make himself capable of entering the Divine shelter Surah Al-Falaq directs how to seek the Divine protection against worldly calamities, and Surah An-Nas tells the way to seek Divine protection against the calamities of the Hereafter Virtues of Mu'awwadhatain Sahih of Muslim records a Tradition on the authority of Sayyidna 'Uqbah Ibn 'Amir who reports that the Messenger of Allah said: "Do you not see that there have been revealed to me verses tonight the like of which has not been seen before? Those are Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas." According to another narration, the like of Mu'awwadhatain has not revealed even in Torah, Injil, or Zabur or anywhere else in the Qur'an Another narration of Sayyidna 'Uqbah Ibn 'Amir reports that the Messenger of Allah taught him Mu'awwadhatain while they were on a journey Then he recited them in the maghrib salah and said: "Recite these two Surahs whenever you go to sleep and whenever you get up." [Nasa'i] According to another report, the Messenger of Allah has advised people to recite these two Surahs after every salah [Transmitted by AbuDawud and Nasa'i] Imam Malik recorded from Sayyidah 'A'ishah : "whenever the Messenger of Allah suffered from an ailment, he would recite the Mu'awwadhatain, blow over his hands, and then wiped his whole body with those hands When his pain became acute on his death-bed, I would recite the Mu'awwadhatain, blow over his hands, and then he wiped them over himself, because my hands could not be the fitting substitute for his blessed hands [All these narratives have been adapted from Ibn Kathir] http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page 235 of 246 Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Khubayb reports that it was raining one night and the sky had become intensely dark We went out looking for the Messenger of Allah , and when he was found, he said: "Say " He asked: "What should I say?" He said: "Recite and Mu'awwadhatain Reciting them thrice in the morning and thrice in the evening will fortify you against all kinds of perturbations." In sum, it was the practice of the Messenger of Allah and his Companions to recite these two Surahs to protect themselves against all types of privations, trials and tribulations of life in this world, as well as of life in the next world Lexicological Analysis of Important Words and Interpretation of the Surah Verse [113:1] ِ‫رُ ثِ َشةِ ٌٗۡ َفٍَك‬ُٛ‫(لًُۡ َأؾ‬Say, "I seek refuge with the Lord of the Daybreak.") The word falaq means 'to split or cleave' and here it is used in the sense of 'break of dawn' In another verse, a similar quality of Allah is used in [6:96] ِ‫فَبٌِكُ ٌٗۡئِـۡجَبح‬ ([He is] the One who causes the dawn to break) Of all the Divine attributes, this particular attribute is used presumably because the darkness of night often causes evils and difficulties, and the daylight removes them This attribute of Allah points to the fact that anyone who seeks protection in Allah, He will remove all afflictions from him [Mazhari] The Word Sharr: 'Allamah Ibn Qayyim's Exposition Verse [113:2] َ‫خٍَك‬ َ ‫(ِِٓ ؽَشِ َِب‬From the evil of everything He has created.) 'Allamah Ibn Qayyim expounds that the word sharr (evil) is employed in two different senses: [1] pain, loss, injury, trouble, grief, distress and affliction which affect man directly, and they are by themselves troubles and afflictions; and [2] the factors that cause losses, injuries and afflictions The second type covers unbelief, idolatry and all sins The things from which the Qur'an and Sunnah require man to seek refuge in Allah are either of these two types The Traditional supplication that is masnun after salah includes seeking of refuge from four things: [1] punishment of the grave; [2] punishment of the Hell-Fire; [3] hardships and privations of life; and [4] trials and tribulations of death Of these, the first two are afflictions and punishments in their own right, and the last two are causes of afflictions and punishments Verse [113:2] َ‫خٍَك‬ َ ‫(ِِٓ ؽَشِ َِب‬From the evil of everything He has created) covers the evil of the entire creation This verse was sufficient to guard against all mischief and calamities But three particular forms of evil have been singled out to seek protection which often cause calamities and afflictions The first thing singled out appears in verse [113:3] َ‫َ َلت‬ٚ ‫ِِٓ ؽَشِ غَبعِكٍ ِئرَا‬َٚ (and from the evil of dark night when it penetrates.) The word ghasiq is derived from ghasaq (to become dark or intensely dark) Thus Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas , Hasan and Mujahid say that the word ghasiq stands for 'night' The verb waqaba is derived from wuqub which means for utter darkness 'to overspread completely and intensely' The verse means: I seek refuge in Allah from the night when its darkness has completely and intensely overspread' The word 'night' has been specifically mentioned because this is the time when Jinn, Satans, harmful insects, animals and reptiles appear Thieves and robbers emerge at this time to carry out their crimes of stealing and other acts of wickedness The enemies attack at this time Black magic has the worst effect when it is intensely dark at night As soon as the dawn approaches, the effects of all these things disappear and fade away ['Allamah Ibn Qayyim] Verse [113:4] ِ‫ ٌٗۡؿُ َمذ‬ِٝ‫ِِٓ ؽَشِ ٌَٕٗفَـٖضَـٖذِ ف‬َٚ (and from the evil of the women who blow on the knots.) The word naffathat is derived from nafth which means 'to blow' The word 'uqad is the plural of 'uqdah which means 'a knot' The magicians usually tie knots on a string or piece of thread, recite magical incantations or formulae and blow on them as they so The phrase ِ‫ ٌٗۡؿُ َمذ‬ِٝ‫ٌَٕٗفَـٖضَـٖذِ ف‬ http://www.central-mosque.com/ ( the women who blow on the knots) refers to Page 236 of 246 female magicians It is possible that the pre-adjectival noun of the adjective naffathat be nufus [souls] Thus this verse may be translated as 'the evil souls who blow on knots' This translation would include men and women who carry out this evil practice But most probably its pre-adjectival noun is 'womenfolk' Women have been specifically mentioned perhaps because generally womenfolk have the natural disposition to carry out the evil practice of witchcraft; or probably because Labid Ibn A'sam, whose black magic was the cause of revelation of this Surah, got this most heinous act done by his daughters Hence, the act of witchcraft is ascribed to them The reason why protection is sought against magicians is firstly that the cause of revelation of these two Surahs was the incident of magic Secondly, people are normally unaware of the act of magicians, and they not pay attention to getting themselves exorcised They are under the impression that it is some kind of medical ailment and try to get themselves medically cured In the meantime the magical effect continues to grow worse The third thing from which people are asked specifically to seek protection is hasid [jealous] and hasad [jealousy] This has been specified for the same reasons as given above, because black magic was worked on the Prophet on account of jealousy The Jews and the hypocrites could not bear to see the rapid progress and expansion of Islam They could not defeat him in outer combat; therefore they tried to satisfy their jealousy by performing witchcraft on him There were uncountable number of green-eyed monsters against the Prophet That is the major reason why protection was sought against them Jealousy of the jealous one gives him restless days and sleepless nights He is at all times after causing loss to his envied person Therefore, the harm he wishes to inflict is severe Hasad [Jealousy] and Ghibtah [Envy] The Arabic word Hasad, the English equivalent of which is 'jealousy', is invariably used in the bad sense It generally means to desire the deprivation of the other man rather than one's own acquisition of any bliss that he may possess Simply put, Hasad means that a person should feel unhappy at the better fortune and good quality that Allah has granted to another, and wishes that it should be taken away from the other person and given to him, or at least the other should be deprived of it Hasad in this sense is totally forbidden and a major sin This is the first sin that was committed in the heaven and also the first one committed on the earth The Iblis was jealous of 'Adam (A.S) in the heaven and the latter's son Qabil was jealous of his brother Habil on earth [Qurtubi] Ghibtah, on the other hand, means to desire for oneself the same blessing as the other man has, without any idea of the latter's losing it This is not only permissible but also desirable Summary and Conclusion Apart from the general protection that is sought in this Surah, protection is sought from three specific evils These are mentioned separately in verses three, four and five Furthermore, in the first and the third specific evils particular restrictions are placed The first specific evil ghasiq [darkness] is restricted by the phrase َ‫غذ‬ َ ‫د‬ َ ‫ِئرَا‬ "when it penetrates" The third specific evil hasid is restricted by the phrase َ‫َ َلت‬ٚ ‫" ِئرَا‬when he envies" The practice of witchcraft is left unrestricted because its harmful effect is general The harmful effect of darkness is felt when there is total absence of light, plunging the night in intense and utter darkness Likewise, jealousy may not cause barm to its object until the jealous one takes a practical step with word or deed to satisfy his heart For until he takes a practical step, his being unhappy may be harmful to himself, but it is not harmful for the other person so that he may seek refuge from it Hence, restrictions are placed on the first and the third specific evils Alhamdulillah The Commentary on Surah Al-Falaq Ends here http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page 237 of 246 114 The Mankind (An-Nas) This Surah is Madani and has verses )٤( ِ‫َاطِ ٌٗۡخََٕبط‬ٛۡ‫َع‬ٌٛۡٗ ِ‫) ِِٓ ؽَش‬٣( ِ‫) ِئٌَـِٖٗ ٌَٕٗبط‬٢( ِ‫) َِ ٍِهِ ٌَٕٗبط‬١( ِ‫رُ ثِ َشةِ ٌَٕٗبط‬ُٛ‫لًُۡ َأؾ‬ )٦( ِ‫ٌََٕٗبط‬ٚ ِ‫) َِِٓ ٌٗۡجِ َٕخ‬٥( ِ‫سِ ٌَٕٗبط‬ُٚ‫صذ‬ ُ ِٝ‫ِطُ ف‬ٛۡ‫َع‬ُٛ‫ ّي‬ِٜ‫ٌَٗز‬ Translation Say, "I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind, [1] the King of mankind, [2] the God of mankind, [3] from the evil of the whisperer who withdraws (when Allah's name is pronounced), [4] the one who whispers in the hearts of people, [5] whether from among the Jinn or Mankind [6] Commentary Introductory Remarks This Surah, the second of the Mu'awwadhatain, constitutes an extension of its predecessor and is in a way complementary to it, in that in Surah Al-Falaq the believers were enjoined to seek refuge with Allah against the hardships and privations of life in this world, while in the current Surah protection is sought from the trials and tribulations of the Hereafter It was explained in Surah Al-Falaq that the word sharr could stand for 'evil' or 'harm' or even 'that which causes harm, anguish or distress1 In the present Surah, we are to seek refuge from the evil that is the cause of all sins, namely, the whisperings and insinuations of Satan As the anguish and distress of the Hereafter is most severe, the Qur'an appropriately emphasizes at the end to seek Allah's protection against these evil powers Verse [114:1] ِ‫رُ ثِ َشةِ ٌَٕٗبط‬ُٛ‫لًُۡ َأؾ‬Say, (I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind,) The attributive name of Allah rabb stands for 'one who nurtures', and implies that the Supreme Nurturer takes care of everything under all circumstances In the present verse, He is referred to as 'the Lord of mankind', while in the previous Surah He was referred to as 'the Lord of the daybreak', because in the foregoing Surah the purpose was to seek protection against the outer bodily hardships and privations of life, and they are not confined to human beings Animals also suffer bodily hardships and difficulties, unlike the Satanic instigations which are restricted to man, and the Jinn are subjoined to him [Mazhari from Baidawi] Verses [114:2 & 3] ِ‫) ِئٌَـِٖٗ ٌَٕٗبط‬٢ ( ِ‫( َِ ٍِهِ ٌَٕٗبط‬the King of mankind, the God of mankind.) The reason for adding these two attributes is that the word rabb, attributed to a particular thing, could refer to someone other than Allah also, as for instance rabb-ud-dar [land-lord] or rabb-ul-mal [owner of wealth] But not every master or owner is a king That is why the attributive name malik [King] has been added to indicate that He is not only the 'Lord of mankind' but also the 'King of mankind' Furthermore, not every king is worthy of worship Thus the third attributive name ilah [God ] has been added to nas [people] The Divine wisdom in combining all three Divine attributes is that each attribute motivates protection Every master has servants and takes care of them Likewise, every king has subjects and looks after them That the worshipped God protects His worshipper is even more obvious Only Allah, and no other being, is characterized by these three attributes simultaneously Therefore, http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page 238 of 246 seeking Allah's protection by invoking these attributes is the greatest protection, and the invocation is readily acceptable Since the first sentence contains the word nets (people), the second and the third verses should apparently refer to them with the pronouns by saying, malikihim [their king] rather than repeating the word nas (people) However, this is an occasion of supplication and praise, and as such repetition needs to be employed by deliberate design to add force and clarity to the sublime emotion by creating natural rhyme, rhythm and melodic sequence Some scholars have explained the repetition of the word 'nas' differently They say that the word nas occurs five times in this Surah In its first occurrence, it refers to the children The word rabb that refers to nurturer-ship of Allah is a hint to this, because children need nurturing the most Its second occurrence refers to youth, and the hint in the context is the word malik which refers to kingship of Allah It bears political connotation and is appropriate to the youth Its third occurrence refers to old age Old people cut themselves off from the world and look up to Allah alone as the real support of life, and render Him alone true and unconditional obedience and to make Him alone the real object of his love and adoration The context for this is ilah [God] which points to the Divine worship Its fourth occurrence refers to the righteous servants of Allah The contextual hint for this is the word waswasah [evil whisperings] because the devil is the enemy of the righteous servants of Allah His work is to cast evil prompting into the hearts of such people Its fifth occurrence refers to mischiefmakers because protection is sought from their mischief Verse [114:4] ِ‫َاطِ ٌٗۡخََٕبط‬ٛۡ‫َع‬ٌٛۡٗ ِ‫(ِِٓ ؽَش‬from the evil of the whisperer who withdraws [when Allah's name is pronounced].) After invoking three attributes of Allah, the present verse describes the one from whom protection is sought He is 'the whisperer who withdraws' The word waswas is originally an infinitive in the sense of waswasah 'to whisper [that is, to use breath instead of voice, when saying something in barely audible way]' But here it is used as an hyperbolic expression to refer to 'Satan' in the sense that 'he is an embodiment of whisper' Whispering of the Satan means that he invites people to his obedience by a superstitious discourse in a way that its subject is cast into man's heart, but no voice is heard [Qurtubi] The word ِ‫ خََٕبط‬khannas is derived from khanasa which means 'to sneak, recede or withdraw furtively' The Satan is so named because he puts himself in a squatting [perched] position on the heart of man So, when the latter becomes heedless, the former whispers, but when he remembers Allah, he withdraws furtively When man becomes unmindful of Allah again, the Satan returns Whenever man remembers Allah, he withdraws This practice continues persistently The Messenger of Allah is reported to have said: "Allah has built two houses in the heart of man, in one of which an angel resides and in the other the Satan The angel urges him to good works and the Satan induces him to evil works When man remembers Allah, the Satan withdraws And when he stops remembering Allah, the Satan perches on the heart of man and pecks with his beak to whisper into it to evil things." [Transmitted by Abu Ya'la on the authority of Anas , as quoted by Mazhari] Verse [114:6] ِ‫ٌََٕٗبط‬ٚ ِ‫( َِِٓ ٌٗۡجِ َٕخ‬whether from among the Jinn or Mankind.) This is explicative of the expression waswas occurring in verse [4], meaning that the devils from amongst mankind and the Jinn whisper into the breasts of mankind Thus the Messenger of Allah has been enjoined to constantly seek protection against the mischief of sneaking devils, whether from amongst the Jinn or from amongst human devils A question may arise here It is obvious that the Satans can cast a voiceless evil prompting furtively into the hearts of people, but how the human devils can cast evil whisperings? They come forward publicly and use their voice, which is not waswasah [whisper] The answer is that human beings too often cast doubts in the minds of people in an indirect way without uttering them explicitly Shaikh Tzzuddin Ibn 'Abdushttp://www.central-mosque.com/ Page 239 of 246 Salam states, in his monograph 'al-Fawa'id fi Mushkilat-il-Qur'an', that the 'whisperer from mankind' refers to the whispering of one's own nafs (base faculties of the man himself) Just as the Satan casts evil thoughts into man's mind, likewise the base self of man urges him to evil works That is why the Messenger of Allah has directed us to seek protection in Allah from the evil of our own self in the following supplication: "O Allah! I seek asylum in You from the evil of myself, from the evil of the Satan and from the evil of idolatry." The Importance of Seeking Protection Against Satanic Whisperings Ibn Kathir states that Allah invokes three of His attributive names in this Surah, rabb [Lord], malik [King] and ilah [God], and instructs man to seek refuge with Him against diabolical whisperings, because a Satanic companion is attached to every man, and at every step of the way, the latter's attempt is to destroy the former in different ways First of all, he induces him to commit sins, and paves the way for him to wilfully violate the Divine laws and injunctions If he does not succeed in this, he tries to contaminate and destroy his acts of obedience and worship by casting the thoughts of dissimulation, hypocrisy, pride and arrogance He attempts to create doubts about authentic beliefs and doctrines of Islam in the minds of the learned scholars The only one who can be saved from the evil of such Satanic pranks is the one whom Allah gives His protection The Messenger of Allah is reported to have said: "There is not a single one of you, but his companion [a devil] has been assigned to him." The Companions enquired: 'Is such a devil companion joined to you also, O Messenger of Allah,?' He replied: 'Yes However, Allah has helped me against him and he has become submissive to me As a result, he only commands me to good.'" It is also confirmed in the two Sahihs from Sayyidna Anas , who reported the story of Sayyidah Safiyyah Once while the Messenger of Allah was performing I'tikaf in the mosque, one of his wives Sayyidah Safiyyah paid him a visit When she decided to leave, he gave her company to the boundaries of the mosque On the way, two men of the Ansar saw them together, The Holy Prophet said: "Wait! This is Safiyyah bint Huyayy [my wife]!" The two Companions exclaimed: "Pure is Allah, O Messenger of Allah, [how can we have ill thoughts about you?]" The Messenger of Allah replied: "Indeed, the devil runs through man's veins like the blood circulates I feared that he might whisper evil thoughts in your minds [That is why I had to call you and clarify that the lady with me was no other than my own wife.]" Special Note Just as it is necessary for man to avoid evil deeds, it is essential for Muslims to avoid occasions that may cause others to have ill thoughts about them Should there arise an occasion which may give rise to such bad thoughts, they should immediately clarify the situation, and put an end to it then and there In sum: This Tradition indicates that Satanic pranks are highly dangerous It is not easy to avoid them unless we seek refuge with Allah A Clarification There are two types of evil thoughts: 1) voluntary; 2) and involuntary Here we are warned against voluntary thoughts that proceed from the will or from one's own free choice The involuntary thoughts are thoughts that occur without one's will or free choice Such thoughts come to mind involuntarily and pass away They are not harmful, nor are they sinful as long as they not act upon them or speak about them A Subtle Difference Between the Two Surahs of Mu'awwadhatain In the present Surah, rabb [Lord], malik [King] and ilah [God], three Divine attributes have been invoked, while the evil from which protection is sought is only one, that is, the whispering Conversely, in the previous Surah, only http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page 240 of 246 one attribute of Allah is mentioned, that is, rabb-il-falaq [Lord of the daybreak], but the evils from which protection is sought are many which are mentioned in three verses This goes to show that the mischief of the Satan is the worst type of evil The hardships and calamities that befall man in this world, affect his body and mundane affairs, unlike the Satanic pranks which affect man's mundane affairs as well his affairs of the Hereafter The Satan is always after destroying man's after-life, and that is the most dangerous situation If man suffers from physical injury or harm, he can find cure or remedy for it; but because the Satan lurks or lies hidden in ambush in every nook and corner of man's life to assault him unnoticed and pull him downwards, away from the Divine, it is not possible to resist him except with the protection granted by Allah (Therefore, protection from him is sought by invoking three attributes of Allah.) Human and Satanic Enemies: Their Differential Treatments One may have some enemies from mankind, and some from Satanic origin The Holy Qur'an has directed us to deal with these two kinds of enemies in different ways Ibn Kathir in the preface of his commentary of the Holy Qur'an has cited three verses of the Holy Qur'an pertaining to this subject All three of them have two parts In the first part, Allah has instructed man to treat his human enemy with kindness, politeness, patience, mercy and compassion If he does not desist from his evil ways, then, jihad is prescribed in other verses We need to wage armed struggle against the devilish elements of human society But the only way to resist the Satanic enemy is to seek refuge with Allah The first verse to this effect is in Surah Al-A'raf [7:199] َٓ‫ٍِي‬ِٙ ٖ‫ػِٓ ٌٗۡجَـ‬ َ ۡ‫ََأػۡ ِسق‬ٚ ِ‫َأُِۡسۡ ثٌِ٘ۡؼُسۡف‬ٚ َٛۡ‫خرِ ٌٗۡؼَف‬ ُ (Take to forbearance, and bid the Fair and ignore the ignorant.) This pertains to defence against human enemy: In other words we need to grant courteous allowance for his offence, bid him to good and forego revenge against injustice he might have committed We must be easy in dealing with him and avoid causing him difficulty This injunction is defence against human enemy and must be carried out in the first instance But the next verse [7:200] of the same Surah pertains to the Satanic enemy as follows: ٌُ‫ػٍِي‬ َ ٌ‫ظِّيغ‬ َ ‫َِإَِب يَٕ َصغَ َٕهَ َِِٓ ٌٗؽَيۡىَـِٖٓ َٔصۡؽٌ۬ فَ٘ظۡزَ ِؼرۡ ثٌٍَِِ٘ٗۚ إِ َُٔٗ ۥ‬ٚ "And if you are stricken with a strike from the Satan, seek refuge with Allah Surely He is All-hearing, All-knowing." In other words, if an evil suggestion comes to us from the Satanic enemy, then we need to seek refuge in Allah The second verse is in Surah Al-Mu'minun [23:96-98] ُٓ‫ع‬ َ ۡ‫َ أَد‬ِٝ٘ ِٝ‫"ّٗدۡ َفغۡ ثٌَِ٘ز‬Repel evil with that which is best And say: ُِْٚ‫ذُ ِثهَ َزةِ أَْ يَذۡمُس‬ُٛ‫ََأػ‬ٚ )٩٧ ( ِٓ‫دِ ٌٗؽَيَـٖىِي‬َٙ‫ذُ ِثهَ ِِٓۡ ََّ٘ص‬ُٛ‫َلًُ َزةِ َأػ‬ٚ 'O my Lord, I seek Your refuge from the from the strokes of the satans, and I seek Your refuge from that they come to me" In the first sentence of these verses, the direction is given to repel the evil caused by human beings with good behaviour But, when it comes to repel the evil caused by Satan, the direction given is to seek refuge in Allah The third verse dealing with the same subject is: [41:34] ‫َثَيۡ َُٕٗ ۥ‬ٚ َ‫ ثَيۡ َٕه‬ِٜ‫عُٓ َفِئذَا ٌَٗر‬ َ ۡ‫َ أَد‬ِٝ٘ ِٝ‫ّٗدۡ َفغۡ ثٌَِ٘ز‬ ٌُ۬‫دِّي‬ َ ٌٌِٝ َٚ ‫حٌ۬ َوأَ َُٔٗ ۥ‬َٚ َٙ‫ػد‬ َ Repel (evil) with what is best, and you will see that the one you had mutual enmity with him will turn as if he were a close friend." [34]" This part of the verse directs how to repel the evil caused by human enemy If we repel evil deed with a better deed, it would be possible for us to win over our human enemies and they would become our most devoted http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page 241 of 246 friends As opposed to a human enemy, the other part of the situation is contained in the next verse [36] It deals with the slinking devil who is invisible, but effective in his attack The verse reads ُُ‫عِّيغُ ٌٗۡ َؼٍِي‬ َ ٌٗ َُٛ٘ ‫َٔصۡؽٌ۬ فَ٘ظۡزَ ِؼرۡ ثٌٍَِِ٘ٗۖ إِ َُٔٗ ۥ‬ ِٖٓ‫َِإَِب يَٕ َصغَ َٕهَ َِِٓ ٌٗؽَيۡىَـ‬ٚ "And should a stroke from Shaitan (Satan) strikes you, seek refuge with Allah Surely, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing." [41:36] The wordings of this verse are more or less the same as they occur in Surah Al-A'raf In other words, if an evil suggestion comes to us from the Satan, we are required to seek refuge in Allah, because that is the only defensive weapon against the invisible slinking, sly and cunning enemy [Ibn Kathir] In sum, all three sets of verses discussed above enjoin that a human enemy needs to be treated at first kindly, politely, patiently and compassionately, because human nature was in the primordial state created uncorrupted, and as such kindness, politeness, mercy and pardon could subdue him However, human beings who have lost their primordial state of innocence, and are deeply sunk in the ocean of ignorance, the passions and the vices of the lower self or base self drag man downwards away from Allah Some have become infidels, unbelievers and tyrants They have thus become frontal enemies and come out armed with weapons of war to wage a frontal combat against the believers The Qur'an prescribes in other verses that such human enemies should be repelled by force of arms Unlike the accursed Satan, he is evil in his primal nature, and as such kindness, compassion and pardon does not bring a good effect on him It is also impossible to have an armed conflict with him So, the only defence against such an enemy is the celestial weapon of dhikrullah [Allah's Remembrance] and ta'awwudh [seeking refuge with Allah], with which the entire Qur'an is replete and the Qur'an appropriately ends with it Moreover, while dealing with a human enemy, a believer is never a loser If he overcomes the enemy and prevails upon him, his victory is obvious If the enemy overcomes him or even kills him, then too he will attain high rewards, and a high degree of martyrdom in the Hereafter which is far better than any worldly attainments In other words, if a believer is defeated by a human enemy he has not lost anything nor is he harmed in anyway But the case of the Satanic enemy is totally different It is sinful to flatter him or please him; and if someone is defeated by him, it is to destroy his entire future in the Hereafter This is the reason why the best defensive weapon against him is to seek refuge in Allah This celestial weapon is so powerful and potent that all Satanic guile and treacherous cunning or craft are rendered weak and ineffective The Guile of Satan is Feeble On account of the reasons given above, it may not be misunderstood that fighting the Satan is difficult To dispel ‫" ِإَْ َويۡدَ ٌٗؽَيۡىَـِٖٓ وَبَْ لَؼِيفًب‬ No doubt, the guile of the Satan is feeble." (4:76) It is further clarified in Surah An-Nahl ِٖٓ‫َفِئذَا لَسَأۡدَ ٌٗۡ ُمسۡءَاَْ فَ٘ظۡزَ ِؼرۡ ثٌٍَِِ٘ٗ َِِٓ ٌٗؽَيۡىَـ‬ ‫) إِ ََّٔب‬٩٩ ( ٍَُْٛ‫َ َڪ‬َٛ‫ُِۡ يَز‬ِٙ‫ٖ زَث‬ٍَٝ‫ػ‬ َ َٚ ْ‫ا‬َُِٕٛ‫ ٌَٗرِيَٓ ءَا‬ٍَٝ‫ػ‬ َ ٌٖٓ‫ظٍۡىَـ‬ ُ ‫) إِ َُٔٗ ۥ ٌَيۡطَ ٌَُٗ ۥ‬٩٨ ( ُِ‫ٌٗسَجِي‬ َُْٛ‫ٌََٗرِيَٓ ُُ٘ ِثِٗۦ ُِؽۡسِو‬ٚ ‫ۡ َُٔٗ ۥ‬ٌََٛٛ َ‫ ٌَٗرِيَٓ يَز‬ٍَٝ‫ػ‬ َ ‫ظٍۡىَـٖ ُُٕٗ ۥ‬ ُ "So, when you recite the Qur'an, seek the this misunderstanding, Allah has said protection of Allah against Satan, the accursed He is such that he has no power over those who believe in Allah and place trust in their Lord His power is only over those who befriend him and those who associate partners with Him [16:98-100]" Please see Ma'ariful Qur'an, Vol 5/pp 412-415 for concise commentary and fuller details of related rulings http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page 242 of 246 Ma'ariful Qur'an, Vol 5/ pp 412-415 (Reproduced in Full) ٍَٝ‫ػ‬ َ ٌٖٓ‫ظٍۡىَـ‬ ُ ‫) إِ َُٔٗ ۥ ٌَيۡطَ ٌَُٗ ۥ‬٩٨( ُِ‫َفِئذَا لَسَأۡدَ ٌٗۡ ُمسۡءَاَْ فَ٘ظۡزَ ِؼرۡ ثٌٍَِِ٘ٗ َِِٓ ٌٗؽَيۡىَـِٖٓ ٌٗسَجِي‬ ُُ٘ َٓ‫ٌََٗرِي‬ٚ ‫ۡ َُٔٗ ۥ‬ٌََٛٛ َ‫ ٌَٗرِيَٓ يَز‬ٍَٝ‫ػ‬ َ ‫ظٍۡىَـٖ ُُٕٗ ۥ‬ ُ ‫) إِ ََّٔب‬٩٩( ٍَُْٛ‫َ َڪ‬َٛ‫ُِۡ يَز‬ِٙ‫ٖ زَث‬ٍَٝ‫ػ‬ َ َٚ ْ‫ا‬َُِٕٛ‫ٌَٗرِيَٓ ءَا‬ َُْٛ‫ِثِٗۦ ُِؽۡسِو‬ Translation So, when you recite the Qur'an, seek the protection of Allah against Satan, the accursed [98] He is such that he has no power over those who believe and place trust in their Lord [99] His power is only over those who befriend him and those who associate partners with Him [100] Sequence of Verses Emphasis was laid in previous verses over the fulfillment of the covenant with Allah following which stated there was the importance and desirability of acting righteously in one's life That one neglects to follow these commandments happens because of Satanic instigations Therefore, this verse teaches us to seek protection against Satan, the accursed - something needed in every good deed But, it will be noticed that it has been mentioned particularly with the recitation of the Qur'an One reason for this particularization could also be that the recitation of the Qur'an is an act so unique that the Satan himself runs away from it As said poetically: Satan bolts from people who recite the Qur'an! Then, there are specified Verses and Chapters which have beentested and they produce the desired result in removing the traces of Satanic inputs particularly That they are effective and beneficial stands proved from definite textual authorities tnusue) - Bayan al-Qur'an Despite this factor, when came the command to seek protection from the Satan in conjunction with the recitation of the Qur'an, it becomes all the more necessary with other deeds In addition to that, there is always the danger of Satanic instigations intruding into the recitation of the Qur'an itself For instance, one mayfall short in observing the etiquette due during the recitation or that it remains devoid of the essential spirit of deliberation, thinking, submission and humbleness So, for this too, it was deemed necessary that protection from Satanic instigations should be sought (Ibn Kathir, Mazhari and others) Commentary In the preface of his Tafsir, Ibn Kathir has said: Human beings have two kinds of enemies The first ones come from their own kind, like the general run of disbelievers The other kind is that of the Jinn who are diabolic and disobedient Islam commands defence against the first kind of enemy through -Jihad involving fighting and killing But, for the other kind, the command is limited to the seeking of protection from Allah only The reason is that the first kind of enemy happens to be homogenous Its attack comes openly, visibly Therefore, fighting and killing in -Iihad against such an enemy was made obligatory As for the ,enemy of the Satanic kind, it is not visible Its attack on humankind does not take place frontally Therefore, as a measure of defence against such an enemy, the seeking ofthe protection of such a Being has been made obligatory that no one is able to see, neither the humankind, nor the Satan Then, there is that subtle expediency in entrusting the defence against Satan with Allah Is it not that one who stands subdued by the Satan is actually rejected and deserving of punishment in the sight of Allah? Quite contrary to this is the case of the humanoid enemy of human beings, that is, the disbelievers If someone is subdued or killed while confronting them, he becomes a martyr (shahUl), and deserving of reward from Allah (thawab)! Therefore, when one confronts an enemy of human beings with all his strength, it turns out http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page 243 of 246 to be nothing but beneficial, no matter what the circumstances - either he would prevail over the enemy and put an end to his power, or would himself embrace shahCidah (martyrdom in the way of Allah) and deserve the best of returns with Him Related Rulings (masa'il) The reciting of: ُ‫ذ ثبہلل ِٓ اٌؽيىبْ اٌسجي‬ٛ‫( اػ‬a'Udhu billahi minash-shaitanir-rajim: I seek protection with Allah from Shaitan, the accursed) before initiating the recitation of the Qur'an stands proved from the Holy Prophet in order that the command given in this verse is carried out But, not doing it occasionally also stands proved from authentic (Sahih) Ahadith Therefore, the majority of Muslim scholars have not classed this injunction as obligatory (wajib) Instead, they have declared it to be Sunnah, a position on which Ibn -Iarir al-Tabari has reported a consensus (ijma') of the scholars of the Muslim community As for Hadith narratives carrying the word and deed of the Holy Prophet;, whether those of reciting: ‫ذ ثبہلل‬ٛ‫( اػ‬a'Udhu billahi) under most conditions or those of not reciting under some, all these have been mentioned exhaustively by Ibn Kathir at the beginning of his Tafsir Should ta'awwudh that is, a'Udhu billahi ', be recited only at the beginning of the first raka'ah while in Salah, or should it be done at the beginning of every raka'ah? Views ofleading Muslim jurists differ in this matter According to the great Imam Abu Hanifah (RA), it should be recited only in the first raka'ah while Imam Shafi (RA) declares its recitation at the beginning of every raka'ah as commendable trnustahabb) Arguments given by both have been presented in Tafsir Mazhari with full elaboration (p 49, v 5) While reciting the Qur'an - whether in Salah or out of it - the saying of 'a/iidhii bil-Iiih' is a Sunnah The rule applies to both situations equally But, after it has been said once, one may go on reciting as much as one wishes to, for the same single ta'awwudh (said at the beginning) is sufficient Yes, if one abandons the recitation in the middle, gets busy with some mundane chore and then resumes it all over again, one should re-initiate the recitation by saying a'Udhu billahi and 'bismillah' once again at that time 4 Saying a'Udhu billahi before reading any word or book other than the Qur'an is not a Sunnah There, one should recite only bismillah (Al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Sham!) However, the Ahadith teaches the saying of ta'awwudh during other things done and situations faced For example, when someone gets very angry - so says the Ahadith - the heat of the anger goes away by saying: ‫ذ‬ٛ‫اػ‬ ُ‫( ثبہلل ِٓ اٌؽيىبْ اٌسجي‬a'Udhu billahi minash-shaitanir-rajim: I seek protection with Allah from Shaitan, the accursed)) (Ibn Kathir) It also appears in Hadith that, before going to the toilet, saying: O Allah, I seek protection with you from the foul and the impure is commendable (mustahabb) (Shami) The way of Faith and Trust in Allah is the way of freedom from the power and control of the Shaitan Verses 99 and 100 make it clear that Allah Ta'ala has not given the Shaitan the kind of power which would disarm any human being and compel him to become helpless and take to evil So, should one opt for not using his capability of choice and control because of sheer carelessness or some selfish motive, then, this would be his own fault Therefore, it was said that people who have faith in Allah and who, rather than trust their will power in their states and actions, place their ultimate trust in Allah Ta'alii for He is the One who gives us the ability to everything good and also the One who shields us from everything evil The Shaitan cannot possess and dictate such people Of course, those who elect to befriend none but the Shaitan because of their selfish motives, http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page 244 of 246 particularly like things about him and go about associating others in the pristine divinity of Allah 'I'a'alji, then, the Shait.an is all over them, in possession, in control, and would not let them go towards anything good while, in every evil, they are right in front The same subject has been taken up in verse 42 of Surah al-Hijr where Allah Ta'ala has Himself refuted the claim of the Shaitan by saying: َٓ‫ِي‬ٚ‫ظٍۡىَـٌٖٓ ِإٌَب َِِٓ ٗرَجَ َؼهَ َِِٓ ٌٗۡغَب‬ ُ ُِۡ‫ػٍَيۡہ‬ َ َ‫ ٌَيۡطَ ٌَه‬ِٜ‫ِإَْ ػِجَبّد‬ (Surely, My servants [are such that] you have no power over them - except [over] the one who follows you from among the astray - 15:42) TAFSEER OF SURAH NOW RESUMES! Relationship Between the Prologue and the Epilogue of the Qur'an Allah prefaced the Qur'an with Surah Al-Fatihah which began with His Personal name It further described His predominant attributes as being Rabb or Maintainer of the universe; as being the All-Merciful and Very Merciful and the Sole Judge of rights and wrongs It defined religion as being His worship alone and imploring Him alone for help - all else being powerless in comparison It further taught man to pray for true guidance so that he is able to find the right path, and be established in it He is taught to pray to be saved from being among those who are condemned and those who have lost the right path after having received it These factors serve the purpose of man's success and prosperity in this world and in the next world, that is the Hereafter However, in the process of achieving this purpose man is obstructed by the accursed Satan He lays various traps inconspicuously utilizing people's different weak points, their sensual and unhealthy desires which he detects and exploits The Satanic traps or snares need to be shattered or broken to pieces Seeking refuge in Allah is the only effective protection against these evil powers That is why the Qur'an most fittingly ends on this Conclusion All Thanks are due to Allah that the tafsir of the noble Qur'an has ended with the grace of Allah, and His kindness and help Praise be to Allah from the beginning to the end, outwardly and inwardly non-manifestly and manifestly We would not have found the way, had Allah not guided us May Allah shower His blessings upon the best of creation, Muhammad , His chosen Messenger, the Seal and the leader of the Prophets and Messengers (A.S) Upon him and the other Messengers be His blessings and peace, upon his family and his Companions, all of them O 'Our Lord, accept from us! Indeed, You - and You alone - are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing! This work completed on Saturday morning 21st of Sha'ban 1392 AH Co-incidentally, this is the day I was born I completed 77th year of my life and turned 78 years old I pray to Allah and hope that the last days of my life would be the best part of my life, doing the best deeds; and that the best days of my life would be the day when I meet my Lord with the blessing of His clear Book and His trustworthy Prophet ; and that the efforts of this humble servant would be accepted, whose soul was exhausted by ailments, grief, distress and anxieties, and lack of strength; and that He would pardon my errors and shortcomings if the obligations toward His noble Book were not fulfilled; and that the Muslims would benefit by it for aeons of time; and that He makes this work a treasure-trove for the Day when there will be no trading and no friendship, when neither wealth nor family will be of any help My ability and help to things come from Him Pure is Allah; praise be to Him; Pure is Allah, the Great! The 8th volume of Tafsir of Ma'ariful Qur'an was revised between 3rd of Ramadan 1392 AH and Friday 10th of Shawwal 1392 AH, taking about forty days Praise be to Allah! Alhamdulillah, the revision of the English version is completed on the night of 29 Ramadan 1424 A.H corresponding to 25 November, 2003 May Allah bless this humble effort with His approval and pleasure, and make it beneficial for the readers 'Amin http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page 245 of 246 Sadaqallah-ul-'Azim Wa sallallahu 'ala nabiyyina Muhammadin wa 'ala 'Alihi wa sahbihi wa sallam Alhamdulillahilladhil-ladhi Ibni'matihi tatimmussalihat The translation of the text of the Holy Qur'an completed on 16 Rabi'ul-Awwal 1424 A.H corresponding to 19 May 2003 at Karachi on 11:25 forenoon Muhammad Taqi Usmani, May Allah forgive him, and accept this humble effort in the service of the Holy Qur'an, His eternal book of guidance May Allah give us tawfiq to recite it and understand it Alhamdulillah The Commentary on Surah An-Nas Ends here http://www.central-mosque.com/ Page 246 of 246 ... common reader On the other hand, during the last few decades, the Muslim population has increased among the English speaking countries in enormous numbers These people and their new generations... discussions of the book, they have been very strict in the translation, lest some change in the style should creep in and distort the accurate connotation of the Islamic injunctions In such places, the. .. committee set up for the translation of the Holy Qur'an and his remarkable contributor, not only to the translation of the Holy Qur'an, but also to the translation of the commentary is unforgettable